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No. 242,403. Patented May 31,1881.

k v W W Q 1 un hnnnnuu Q 5w 6 5w 1 Q Q NITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. WALSH, OF VAHPETON, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

HORSE HAY-FORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,403, dated May 31, 1881.

Application filed August 21, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES ALoYsIUs WALSH, of Wah'peton, Richland county, Da-

kota Territory,haveinvented certain Improve ments in HorseHay-Forks, of which the followin g is a specification.

The object of my invention is to make a horse hay-fork to pitch all kinds of hay, straw, &c., that shall be simple in construction and stronger and more eflective in operation than any now in use, and that will not catch on the rack or beams when rising or lowering.

In orderto describe my invention more fully I will refer to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a view of my fork when closed to press into the hay. Fig. 2 is a view of the fork when open to lift the load.

A A are two iron or steel bows or tines bent edgewise and placed face to face and pivoted together at the center by the rivet M. The bows or tines A A have sharpened oval points with shoulders or projections K K K K. On one bow the shoulders project to the right and on the other they project to the left. A brace, S, is riveted to each bow and projects and bends over on one side to form the stop 0. The levers 0 O are pivoted together and to opposite braces and close down between the braces and open and close the fork. One lever may be pivoted to the brace with a bolt or screw, so that it may be taken out to allow the fork to be opened to grind the oval points. The clasps N N around the braces S keep the points of the fork together.

To avoid friction on the trip-rope h, I use a swivel-pulley, V, secured between the bows A A by the rivet M. The draft ring or loop D is riveted to opposite bows and past the center rivet, M, on the side on which the shoulder projects inward, so that the weight of the load will close the fork when the trip-rope his pulled. The draft-loop D is made to spring, and without any joint, to overcome any friction there may be between the bowsA A. The trip-rope h is tied to the lever Oand passes through the swivel-pulley V, and the other end is held by the operator on the load.

To operate the fork close the points and press it into the hay, press down the levers O O, which opens the fork and presses the shoulders K K K Kinto the hay. The levers, dropping below the center of connection with the braces, hold the fork open. When the load reaches the desired place pull the trip-rope h, when the levers O 0 are drawn ahovethe center. The spring-draft loop D and the weight of the load close the fork and release the load.

I am aware that there are sharpened ovalpointed forks in use. My claims relate nothing thereto; but

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, in a horse hay-fork, of the two continuous bows A A, bent edgewise and pivoted together at the center of their tops, their sides formingthe tines,having shoulders K K, the points being moved laterally in a line with the face of the bows and in opposite directions by pressing down the levers O O, substantially as described.

2. The spring draft-loop D, in combination with the two sets of tines A A. i

3. The bows A A, having shoulders K K, draft-loop D, braces S S,with projecting stops 0 (l, clasps N N, levers O O, and swivel-pulley V, in combination, and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES ALOYSIUS WALSH.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. OBRIEN, SAMUEL B. ROBERTS. 

